PS4 review

EVER SINCE Sony unveiled its Playstation 4 (PS4) in February, diehard gamers have been salivating at the prospect of the next generation gaming it promised.

Listing the PS4 as a "games console that puts gamers first", Sony didn't reinvent the wheel for its latest gaming machine. Instead, the Japanese gaming titan has chosen to evolve and soup up its games console's internal components.

While debatably not as revolutionary as certain other recent games console endeavours like Onlive, Ouya or even Microsoft's Xbox One, the tactic has proven a hit and gamers have literally flocked to buy the console. Still, with the dust now settled some have come to question whether improved internal specifications alone will be enough to keep next-generation gamers interested.

DesignWe have to say that visually the PS4 is one of the nicest looking games consoles we've ever seen. Sony's unashamedly designed the PS4 to look as futuristic as possible. The console has diagonally slanted front and back sides and an LED blue line lacing through its body that makes it look more like an artifact from Krypton than an earthly gaming machine.

The console is also far more compact than many of its competitors, measuring 305x275x53mm and weighing around 2.8kg. The PS4's dimensions combined with its ability to run either as a tower or laid flat means finding a convenient out of the way space for the machine is not too tricky, and likely will avoid arguments with flatmates and spouses about why a big black box has suddenly taken up a significant section of the living room.

Despite its compact size, Sony has still managed to configure the PS4 with a host of connectivity ports and docks. On its rear the PS4 houses Ethernet, HDMI and Optical Audio ports as well as a dedicated auxiliary port for the optional Playstation Camera. The Playstation Camera is Sony's answer to the Kinect, more on this later. On its front the PS4 features two discretely placed USB 3.0 ports. Past this the front of the PS4 features basic on/off and eject buttons, and a 6x Blu-ray and 8x DVD disc port.